Water heating apparatus



May 1,` 1934.

O. SWANSxON WATER HEATING APPARATUS Filed April 14. 193?.

Patented ifiay l, 1934 STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a water heating apparatus and has special reference to an apparatus having a portion thereof contacting with heat from a .heat radiating means whereby Water 5 in the apparatus is heated.

More particularly, this invention has reference 'to an apparatus comprising a header for association with a heat radiating means, the header having a plurality of heating tubes communileating therewith for receiving a supply of water therefrom and the tubes being in contact with heat from the heat radiating means. The header is supplied with water by a feed pipe and a return pipe discharges heated water therefrom.

The apparatus of this invention will hereinafter be described more particularly in its association with a boiler, a header having a plurality of heating tubes communicating therewith and extending through the front plate of said boiler to be immersed in the not water therein, the header being ied with water to be heated through a feed pipe in communication with a storage tank, water being discharged from the header through a return pipe to the storage tank. It is contemplated bythe applicant to provide a substantially great expanse oi heating surface to the heating medium so that the water passing through the apparatus will receive an eicient transmission oi heat thereto before being dis- Charged therefrom. Therefore, the header is so designed as to provide a plurality of openings therein wherein a portion of the openings are in communie Lion with each other within the header so as to provide a circulation of water through all or said heating tubes in seriatim prior to its eing discharged to the storage tank.

Hereinbeiore, in so far as applicant is aware, water is directed through but a single course of circulation, that to say, a pipe extending in Contact with the heating means in one direction and returning in the opposite direction carries a supply oi water to be discharged into the storage tank. the present invention, the water from the header passes therefrom through a coil to be returned to the header from whence it is redirected through another coil over substantially the saine course at least a second time before it is discharged into the storage tank. Recirculation of water by the provision of a header thus designed provides for an eiiicient transmission of heat to the water therein. It is, of course, to be understood the water may be recirculated from the header into contact with the heating medium any desired number or times, although, for purposes of description, the number of heating tubes through which the water passes has been shown as a pair of U-shaped pipes or coils. Also, four single pipes may be employed, two of which being connected by means of ttings at the outer ends thereof. In the use of these two coil sections, four openings are extended through the header, two of which openings are intercommunicating within the header, one

0i the intercommunicating openings being in communication with one end of one of the coil sections and the other of the intercommunicating openings being in communication with one end of the other of the coil sections. The inlet, in such instance, would be directed to one of the openings not in communication with any of the other openings, whereby the water would pass from the feed pipe through such opening and through the heat-- ing tube of one coil section in communication therewith back to the opening in communication with an opening extending to a heating tube of another coil section from which the water is returned to the last opening for return to the storage tank.

For a better understanding of the characteristic features of this invention, reference may now be had to the following description when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a boiler showing the apparatus of this invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view of the boiler portion of Figure l, showing the apparatus of this invention in plan;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View of the header of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line '4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevational View of the apparatus of this invention, showing the boiler with which it is associated in section and a portion of the storage tank to which it is connected.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a boiler 10 is shown as being supported on the usual masonry foundation including a shell in which a nre-box 11 is disposed above the usual ash-pit 12, the re-box and ash-pit having the usual openings for access thereto. The boiler is of a type having ues 13 through a portion thereof for directing the products of combustion to a rear end chamber therein connected to a stack. The upper portion of the boiler in the present instance is devoid of fiues and has a suiciently great amount of space CII f, and extends to be to accommodate a large supply of water for purposes of heating.

The device of the present invention may be associated with this type of boiler or with any of the usual types of boilers or furnaces, and for purposes of disclosure only, the drawing shows a construction wherein heat from the water in a boiler is transmitted to the apparatus of this invention.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing, a header 14 is shown which comprises preferably a single casting having openings 15, 16, 17 and 18 extending therethrough, openings and 18 being intercommunicating by reason of an enclosed passage 19. Suitable securing means are provided for holding the header in position with respect to the boiler or furnace on which it is mounted, in the drawing such securing means being shown as lugs 2G having apertures therethrough for receiving suitable bolts. The casting may be formed preferably of brass, although any suitable material may be employed as desired.

A plurality of heating tubes communicate with the header 14, the tubes being preferably in the form of coils, that is, each coil comprises a pipe extending from one of the openings and being bent one or more times to return to another of said openings. Of course, in lieu of the coil being formed of a single continuous pipe, two or more pipes may be employed connected at the ends thereof with suitable fittings to form a continuous passageway. The end 21 of one of the coils 14D threadedly engages the header 14 and communicates with the opening 15 extending therethrough, the other end 22 of the coil threadedly engaging the header and communieating with the opening 16 extending therethrough. One end 23 of another coil section 14a threadedly engages the header and communicates with the opening 17 extending therethrough, the other end 24 of said coil section being threadedly connected with the header and being in communication with the opening 18 extended therethrough. The ends of openings l5 and 18 on the opposite sides of the header to that of the ends 21 and 24 of the coil sections are provided with plugs or other suitable stoppers.

The header is supplied with water to be heated from a storage tank 25 of any suitable size and design through a medium of a feed pipe line 25 which extends preferably from the lower end of the storage tank and is connected to the header in communication with the opening 17. Heated water from the header is returned to the storage tank through a return pipe line 27 which is in communication preferably with the upper part of the storage tank threadedly connected to the header in communication with the opening 16. In the drawing, two headers have been shown and are connected together by reason of bypasses of the pipe lines 2G and 27. Thus, it may be desirable to provide one or a plurality of headers with their associated coil sections.

In the operation of the device thus far described, water from the storage tank 25 is directed through the feed pipe line 26 to the opening 17 in the header and thence through the coil section 14a to be returned to the opening 18 in the header. The opening 18 of the header being in communication with the opening 15 therein, directs the water from the coil section 14a into the upper coil section 14h, whence it is returned to the opening 16 in communication with the return pipe 27 to the upper portion of the storage tank.

As a result of this invention, a maximum of heat transmission may be effected in the recirculation of water for contact with the heating means in the provision of a header having communicating openings therein and openings which extend directly therethrough. It is, of course, to be understood that a plurality of coil sections may be employed in connection with each set of openings or that a plurality of single coil sections may be connected to a plurality of openings.

While but a single embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and, therefore, the same is only to be limited by the scope of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a heating means, of a header comprising a single casting having four separate openings therethrough, a pair of coil sections communicating with said openings, said openings being arranged in superposed pairs with an upper opening in communication with one of said coil sections intercommunicating within said header with a lower opening in communication with the other of said coil sections through a passage extending between the upper and lower openings, and means for feeding water to said header and for discharging water therefrom, said water being circulated through both of said coil sections in seriatim prior to the discharge thereof.

2. A header for a water heating apparatus comprising a single casting having four separate chambers therein for engagement with coil sections to circulate water to be heated, said chambers being arranged in superposed pairs with an upper chamber communicating with a lower chamber through a passage extending between the other upper and lower chambers.

3. The combination with a heating means, of a header comprising a single casting having four separate openings therethrough, a pair of coil sections of substantially the size of said openings communicating therewith, said openings being arranged in superposed pairs with an upper opening in communication with one of said coil sections intercommunicating within said header with a lower opening in communication with the other l of said coil sections through a passage extending between the other upper and lower openings, and means for feeding water to said header and for discharging water therefrom, said water being circulated through both of said coil sections in seriatim prior to the discharge thereof.

OLOIE1 SWANSON. 

